I've loved Michael for as long as I can remember. When I was 16, I took a coach from Birmingham to London to camp outside his hotel for three days. Some of us followed him to Hamleys toy shop and spoke to him outside. Michael was always happy to talk to his fans, even when his security guards told him he shouldn't.

And then it just snowballed. I saw Michael live many times, and I now know most of the Jacksons well. Over the years, I've been working on a Jackson Five tattoo – each time I meet one of the brothers, I ask him to autograph my body, then go to the nearest tattoo parlour to have it made permanent. The family know all about it: last year, they invited me to Vegas so I could get Marlon's and complete the set.

So when I heard that Cirque du Soleil was making a show about Michael, I was intrigued: the tabloids always said Michael's life was a circus, so it seemed ironic. I've now seen the show 19 times – starting with the premiere in Montreal last year, then in Las Vegas, now in London. Each time I see it, I find something new to admire.

The last time, I saw Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett – Michael's drummer, who plays in the show – look up, kiss his fingers, and blow a kiss into the sky to Michael. It's a really moving moment. Some fans say they're boycotting the show because it's endorsed by Michael's estate. They feel the estate is just making money out of the fans; they won't buy any records or merchandise released since his death, either. I don't agree with that, which is why I'm not a member of any of the official fan clubs. I think a show like this is a brilliant way of keeping Michael's memory alive.

If you're a fan of Cirque rather than Michael, though, I can see why you might find the show frustrating: the storyline's quite confusing, and there's little in the way of acrobatics. At the last show I saw, someone actually shouted out: "Do some acrobatics!" Really, the show is just about the dancing and the music – which makes sense, because that's what Michael's life was about, too.

• Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour is at the Birmingham NIA and the Manchester Arena in March. Details: cirquedusoleil.com